Poseidon's Academy

Chapter 31. Mind Games

'They'll never know where to find us though,' Demi sighed. 'I'm sure the nereids will be happy they've got five less students to worry about.'

Something clicked in Hailey's head-the final piece of a puzzle, she hadn't even realised she'd been working on, sliding into place-and she gasped. It's so obvious; how did I miss it?

'What's wrong?' Alec's voice was tinged with panic. 'Is there something in the water? Is it a snake?'

'I understand it. I understand everything.'

'Understand what?' Demi asked.

'The nereids' plan. It all makes sense now. What they meant about the plan not taking long and about Poseidon coming back-everything makes perfect sense.'

'What do you mean it makes sense?' Jayden prompted.

Where to begin... 'I don't know how, but I think t he nereids worked out we found a wand, and that it was Hecate's-they probably knew her entire plan,' Hailey explained. 'They must have known we'd read the spell to wake up Hades and Persephone, which is why Nemertes told the other nereids to be patient because the plan was working. They just needed to wait for Hades to wake up the Olympians. And remember what they said about someone learning its purpose? They were talking about us learning what the spell had done. They were expecting us to come to the Underworld and practically hand the wand back to Hades so he couldn't be stopped. And they probably knew we'd been using the wand to eavesdrop on them, which is why they spent most of their time in the sea-this is all part of their plan.'

'I hate those stupid nereids,' Aaron growled, kicking around in the water.

'It's so obvious,' Alec said. 'We should have seen the connections sooner.'

'I know,' Hailey agreed. 'We can't let them get away with this. We have to get back to the Academy and tell Amathia what her sisters have been up to.'

'I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said they were psycho, Hails,' Jayden said. 'They're clearly diabolical.'

'I-' Hailey began, but fell quiet, hearing footsteps approaching from above.

The hatch banged open, quadrupling Hailey's heartrate. Please, Tyches, don't let it be Hades coming back to kill us.

Someone dropped into the water with a splash, sending a wave spraying over Hailey, who stifled a scream. An Erinys loomed before her, gripping a flaming torch that exaggerated her sickly skin and made her red eyes burn.

Without warning, the Erinys grabbed Jayden by the neck and threw him up through the hatch, where Hailey heard him land with a horrible thud.

Before Hailey could react, the Erinys snaked a hand around her neck, her pointed nails stinging like acid as they bit into her skin, and hurled Hailey into the air as if she weighed nothing. She let out one petrified scream before she slammed onto the ground, her shoulder exploding in pain.

'You okay, Hailey?' Jayden asked, helping her sit up.

Hailey rubbed her aching arm. 'Yeah.'

Aaron was next to fly out of the hatch, followed by a screaming Demi, and then the Erinys sprang out next, holding a blanched Alec by the throat. She released him and stared at Hailey and her friends, as if waiting for them to make a move. 'Come,' she snarled after a few tense seconds.

Hailey, Demi, Jayden, and Aaron hesitated, exchanging unsure looks, but Alec nudged his head towards the Erinys as she slithered away, indicating they should follow. 'We can't ruin our escape plan by doing something stupid now,' he whispered in a barely audible voice.